Anti-graft agencies in Nigeria have been impelled to freeze the bank account of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to prevent further alleged loots of the agencies funds by the Interim Management Committee.
The head of research, strategy and programme at ACT for Positive Transformation Initiative, Comrade Kolawole Johnson, stated this in Abuja where he alleged that another fresh N9billion has been squandered in the month of August alone.
“The commission has gone ahead to squander additional N9 billion Naira thereafter, in the last one month. This includes reckless spendthrift of N5.8 billion on fraudulent emergency desilting on the 29th of July, 2020, alone when the nation was on holidays,” Johnson stated.
He alleged that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Interim Management Committee (IMC) was so reckless and in its desperate bid to move money, used one contract heading listed various locations.
In his words;
“They were so in a hurry that they moved out the same amount purportedly for different locations and different scopes of job. i.e Emergency clearing and desilting of lpinie Ajenrela creek, lgbokoda (lot 3) -N634,761,500.00 (Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
“Emergency clearing and desilting of Akaibiri creek, Yenagoa 634,761,500.00 ( Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
“Emergency clearing and desilting of liar Creek, lgbokoda (lot 2) -634,761,500.00 ( Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
“Emergency clearing and desilting of Temetan Creek, lgbokoda (Lot 1) 634,761,500.00 ( Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
“Others include Emergency clearing and desilting of the blocked canal from llaje High School Naval Base fishing Terminal, lgbokoda (Lot1) 634,761,500.00 ( Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira),
“Emergency clearing and desilting of Yewa Creek, Okitipupa (Lot1)634,761,500.00 (Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
“Emergency clearing and desilting of lpinle Koforawe Creek, lgbokoda (lot 2) –N634,761,500.00 (Six Hundred and Thirty Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
“The last on the roll-on that same day: Urgent clear desilting of blocked sections of lbelebiri waterways, Ogbia (lot 2) 739,071,500.00 (Seven Hundred and Thirty-Nine Million, Seventy-One Thousand and Five Hundred Naira).
“Details of all the companies that served as a conduit for these payments are readily available. The movement of same disbursements was also not out of trace”.
He also said that while the nation was yet to recover from the shock of the N1.5bn spent by the IMC on palliative for itself, the IMC went further to pay another N350m on containing the spread of the COVID-19.
He said, about 50 contract staffers were also engaged against the rules of service
“A look at the nominal roll of the commission confirms the alarm on secret employment ongoing in the commission. The management recently employed over 50 contract staff without following civil service rules and guidelines.
“Some of these new Intakes who lack the required skills or experience were placed as an assistant director without competence test or assessment.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly, genuine security and anti-corruption agency to immediately freeze the accounts of the commission and apprehend everyone involved in the continuous scandalous pillaging of the agency’s treasury.
“lt gladdens the heart to note that some of the commission’s officials are already refunding part of their loot to government’s coffer.
“The Presidency also preemptively disowned the commission’s management over the latter’s impunity in extra-budgetary spending yet ongoing.
However, decisive steps must be taken urgently to end the audacious and unprecedented looting under a government that professes to be fighting corruption. After all, we all bear the consequences of the despicable actions of officials in government,” he stated.
